


jammy dodgers

by anotherbuskitten



Series: walls have ears [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Embedded Images, Gen, Healer James Potter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:27:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27584746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anotherbuskitten/pseuds/anotherbuskitten
Summary: Albus Dumbledore, Mission: Talk to Remus, gather information, recruit more people??James Potter, Mission: Distract Dumbledore, protect Remus, be a good host?Remus Lupin, Mission: mmm biscuit
Relationships: Remus Lupin & James Potter
Series: walls have ears [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1755604
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	jammy dodgers

It’s raining when Albus Dumbledore comes to Godric’s Hollow looking for Remus. It’s been a month since James met the werewolf, and barely two weeks since they’d all moved in together.

James is sort of impressed that Dumbledore managed to track Remus down so quickly, considering his lack of connection to any of them.

He’s a lot less impressed that the professor is choosing to ambush Remus the day after the full moon. He doubts, somehow, that Dumbledore is aware of Sirius’ experiments or the calming affect they have on the wolf.

In fact, James thinks that Sirius is the only one with any actual understanding of what went on last night. He and Remus both refused to allow anyone into the room with them, although James, at least, hadn’t had any desire to do so.

Still, despite the poor timing, James goes to open the door and welcome the old wizard into their new home.

A month ago he might have thought that the old man – pillar of the community, supreme mugwump and all that – looked rather out of place on his front step, but so much has changed and now he can only wonder if tidied up the books he and Lily had been brainstorming last night.

“Ah, Mr…Potter, is it?”

“James.” James says automatically, even though he doesn’t really want Dumbledore calling him by his first name. “Who are you looking for?”

He hates this; he knows that by now Lily would have Dumbledore apologising for having bothered them, or Sirius would have him convinced he’d gotten what he came for but James is far too straightforward to do either. All he can do is not roll over.

“I heard Remus Lupin was staying here?”

 _Heard from who_ James thinks bitterly, _certainly not any of us._ But he can’t even bring himself to lie and say that he isn’t. Remus had said this would happen.

“I’ll go and see if he’s up to visitors.” It’s only his mum’s voice in his head that stops him from closing the door in Dumbledore’s face. “Do you want to come through and wait?”

Once Dumbledore is settled in the living room looking – yeah, now he can think it – thoroughly out of place, James goes upstairs and knocks on Remus’ door.

“Hey,” He calls through the wood, “Dumbledore’s downstairs looking to talk to you. You don’t have to come down –

The door opens.

Remus smiles at him. He doesn’t speak to any of them very much – as far as James can tell, he’s most comfortable around Sirius, but only when Sirius is the only one there. Today only James and Remus are home.

Remus turns to look into his room, and James peers in as well. The window is open, and this room overlooks the front of the house. Remus must have heard Dumbledore arrive.

James grins at him. “Are you coming down then?” A nod. “D’you want a cuppa?” Another. “Brill.”

/

Remus tugs his robes to straighten them before going into the living room. He doesn’t need to – James had insisted on buying him new clothes and because he didn’t really have a choice he’d agreed. They were the nicest things he’d ever worn.

In the kitchen the kettle whistles and Remus flinches. He does that a lot these days; stopping and starting at the littlest of things. He never used to, at Black’s house.

He wishes that Black was here with him now. Then Black could read his mind and tell Albus what Remus thought and do it in a way that made Remus sound sane and still good, and Remus wouldn’t have to say a word.

Inside the room, he’s a little surprised by how much it hurts to see his old headmaster. He looks almost untouched by the war. Ridiculous, Remus knows, and untrue but still painful.

“I’m not going back to the Order.” Remus blurts out; he then sits down on one of James’ over-soft chairs and tries to look as though he meant to say that aloud.

“Of course not.” Albus says softly. “I had no intention of asking you to head back into the war. I merely wanted to know that you are alright.”

 _Liar._ Remus surprises himself with how quickly the thought comes, and with how easy it is to see the lie in the old man’s face.

“I’m fine.”

“I’m very glad my boy. And you’re living with Mr Potter now?” Remus stays silent, tugging on his robes and avoiding meeting Dumbledore’s eyes. “How do you know him?”

Remus’ brain stutters – he isn’t a good liar; the main reason no one worked out he was a werewolf (as far as he can guess) is that he wasn’t interesting enough to pay attention to. He isn’t even sure if he needs to lie about this.

Sure, Albus doesn’t need him or care about him, that’s fine…but Albus isn’t a bad person. No one has time to care about every individual student he meets. Remus isn’t allowed to be offended that he’s outlived his usefulness, especially when it was Albus who made him useful in the first place.

“I’m a healer.” James says, suddenly there, holding a tray with the promised tea on it. Biscuits too. Remus snags one and shoves it in his mouth quickly.

“Remus was having a check-up, regular thing – you know the sort – and I walked right into him. Had to buy him lunch after that didn’t I?” James’ smile is charming, if not entirely genuine.

“Ah.” Albus says; he doesn’t believe the story and isn’t bothering to pretend otherwise. So what? Remus wonders. So now they’re all liars.

Remus eats another biscuit. This one has jam in it.

Albus seems entirely willing to wait until Remus has finished eating before asking anymore questions. In fact, he sits through two more jam biscuits before he clears his throat to start again.

“Will you be returning to us, Remus?”

Fuck, he sounds like a sodding church leader. Remus’ mother had taken him to church a few times, although her religion had petered off after the bite. Remus had never taken to it. Would it be rude to take another biscuit?

“Remus isn’t well at the moment.” James says firmly, his eyes flicking nervously back and forth between them.

“Oh?” Albus says, polite but sour-faced. “If the recovery is taking so much out of you would it not be wiser to stay in a hospital?”

“I’m perfectly capable of providing a safe environment for people in recovery.” James snaps; Remus has never heard him sound even the slightest bit perturbed before. It’s quite fascinating. “Hospitals are constantly overcrowded at the moment.”

“Bla – Sirius has been teaching me meditation.” Remus blurts out.

“And is that making you ill?” Albus asks, voice and face both as kindly as usual but something knifelike in it nonetheless.

“He’s nice.” Remus mumbles, and takes another biscuit. “Nice to me. It’s not painful. I just get tired easily.” He feels like he’s lying but can’t pinpoint where the lie would be; everything he’s said so far is the truth. He doesn’t like it. “I don’t know why you’d want me back anyway!”

In his sudden defiance he’s met Albus’ eyes for the first time and so, he notices the very tiny widening, the small expression of surprise.

“I didn’t know you felt unappreciated Remus; I assure you, you are –

A loud snort from James interrupts Albus’ platitudes. “You didn’t even realise he was depressed! You’ve got to be pretty fucking oblivious to the guy not to pick up on that.”

Albus smiles tightly. “Well you have only known Remus since he suffered a trauma, Mr Potter, the circumstances are very different.”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN TRAUMA? HE’S A FUCKING WEREWOLF! HE’S BEEN TRAUMATISED ALL HIS LIFE!” James shouts back.

Remus:

**Author's Note:**

> as ever, please say if there're any scenes you'd like to see


End file.
